Escadaria Selarón is Rio de Janeiro’s Most Iconic Stairway

Photo by Ben Ostrower on Unsplash

Rio de Janeiro is home to more colorful spots than we can count, but none of them compares to Escadaria Selarón. The city’s most iconic stairway stretches for 125 meters and it’s decorated with countless colorful tiles that celebrate the culture and history of Brazil.

Named after the Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who decorated them, this beautiful stairway is paved with over 2000 tiles collected from over 60 different countries. Selarón, who spent most of his life living in Brazil, had been decorating the steps for over two decades and described them as his tribute to the Brazilian people.

He covered 250 stairs with green, blue, and yellow tiles, reminiscent of the colors of the Brazilian flag. Until his death in 2013, Escadaria Selarón has been an ever-evolving piece of art, and it’s now hailed as one of the most beautiful stairways in the world. Selarón spent most of his life in the house living next to the steps, and their close proximity to his home was the reason why he decided to decorate them.

Located between the neighborhoods of Lapa and Santa Teresa, Escadaria Selarón brought some color to this part of Rio and it can be visited 24/7.